New Delhi, Aug 16 (KNN) Villgro, a social enterprise incubator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India have launched “EMPOWER Her Journey”, a programme to accelerate women-led businesses in India. 

The programme aims to support women entrepreneurs by bridging the financing gap and accelerating access to digital tools for enhanced market reach.

It will address these challenges through peer-to-peer learning sessions, training, networking opportunities, and mentor support, said a press note.

Entrepreneurs will be trained on digital transformation tools to increase sales and business acceleration strategies such as go-to-market, fundraising, and impact measurement.

“We hold the firm belief that empowering women entrepreneurs extends beyond economic growth; it sets in motion a ripple effect that profoundly influences families, communities, and the nation,” said Jenaan Lilani Bhargava, Advisor, Villgro. 

“With EMPOWER Her Journey, we envisage a future wherein women-led enterprises lead in driving social progress and sustainable development, further strengthened by the unwavering support of UNDP.”

As part of Villgro's ongoing commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs in India, the EMPOWER Her Journey programme will complement initiatives such as TVARAN Accelerator and Powering Livelihoods.

“With this programme, we aim to leverage our 20+ years of expertise, empowering 1,600 women across the country to thrive in entrepreneurship, foster growth, and achieve remarkable success,” said Bhargava.

“Empower Her Journey has been designed to unlock the untapped potential of women-led startups with incubation and acceleration support. With Villgro as a partner, we are confident this initiative will catalyse the entrepreneurial journey of all women entrepreneur participants,” said Amit Kumar, Head of Sustainable and Inclusive Growth, UNDP India.

Applications for the programme are open to Indian enterprises founded or co-founded by women or having women in senior executive roles and with less than five years of operations in any sector.

Startups at the ideation, pre-revenue, or revenue-generating stage can apply. The first cohort will see the participation of 100 women-led startups and women entrepreneurs.

The applications are open till August 30, 2023. Women entrepreneurs can apply here: https://lnkd.in/guwS4VZC  (KNN Bureau)